Words of Inspiration from the New Old Age

In late October, more than 200 men and women from all walks of life came together in New York City for The New Old Age conference.

Presented by The Atlantic and sponsored, in part, by Pfizer’s Get Old, the annual day-long event was a chance for people to share stories about working longer, living longer and finding purpose and fulfillment later in life. The Get Old team was in the audience, learning, listening and finding inspiration on what it means to live a long and healthy life.

Here are just a few of our favorite quotes—paired with a few favorite stories—to “pay” the inspiration forward:

On Aging and Longevity

“Aging begins the moment you’re born. Longevity is about now.”

— Staci Alexander, Director, Thought Leadership, AARP

“I call exercise the most transformative thing you can do.”

— Wendy Suzuki, Professor of Neural Science and Psychology, New York University

“Just think of the age of all the Nobel laureates. They ain’t 30 years old…. There’s so many great examples of people and the creativity of the mind and the expansion as they age.”

“Because we age, does not mean that we’re done."

— Alicia Georges, National Volunteer President, AARP

“Aging isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. People are going to age in a variety of ways.”

“The people that live long, they have passion. They have commitment. And they care about people.”

— Alicia Georges, National Volunteer President, AARP

“I am much wiser today at 53 years old than I was at 25. And that is emergence.”

— Wendy Suzuki, Professor of Neural Science and Psychology, New York University

“There are very simple ways to recognize an older person other than a quick smile before turning the other way.…. Just take a minute and think outside yourself. Don’t look down at your phone when you’re walking down the street or hallway.”

— Beth Shapiro, Executive Director, Citymeals on Wheels

“As senior intern, I learned I still had something to contribute, and a lot more to learn. Those are the basic elements to staying engaged. Contributing and learning. To me, that seems like a pretty good way to live my life from here on out.”

— Paul Critchlow, “Senior Intern” and Blogger, Pfizer’s Get Old

“If I had to pick one thing that’s the key to happiness, it’s relationships … the things we can do to broaden or deepen our relationships really lead to happiness.”— Gretchen Rubin, Author, The Happiness Project

“Talent is what makes you want to keep doing something for a fairly long time to get good at it.”

How do you feel about getting old?

Take Our #FOGO QUIZ to Find Out

Get Old—sponsored by Pfizer—is devoted to the discussion of healthy aging and the opportunity to increase your life “expectancy.” Don’t settle for just getting older. Find out how you can make the most of the opportunities that come with being part of the world’s greatest age wave, where more people may live longer and better than ever before.

The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a health care provider. All decisions regarding patient care should be made with a health care provider.